what is traction alopecia

Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss caused by constant pulling or tension on the hair roots. It is usually seen in women of African descent who have tight and curly spiral hair, and it is preventable with appropriate education. The condition is caused by hairstyles that produce a continuous pulling force on the hair roots, such as tight braids, chignon, cornrows, dreadlocks, weaves, hair extensions, and chemical relaxers and rollers. Traction alopecia is "biphasic," with early disease being nonscarring and reversible, while chronic disease is scarring and permanent. Symptoms of traction alopecia include itching, soreness, increased flaking of the scalp, small bumps on the scalp, a pulling sensation, tenderness, crusting, and stinging on the scalp. The onset of hair loss usually occurs in the temporal regions, preauricular region, and above the ears, but it may involve other parts of the scalp, particularly where "corn row" patterns are adopted. The condition is common in patients of African descent due to certain hair styling practices and hair texture, but it can occur in other ethnic groups as well. Treatment for traction alopecia involves limiting or eliminating any hairstyles that pull on the hair and wearing hair in loose styles, reducing the amount of chemicals and heat used during styling, and using topical antibiotics or topical corticosteroids to treat scalp tenderness, bumps, or inflammation. For moderate to severe traction alopecia, more aggressive treatments such as oral antibiotics, injected corticosteroids, topical minoxidil, or hair transplantation may be necessary.